


Boots and Barefeet

by maybeembee



Series: FE Family Fates [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Bad Puns, Card Games, Complications, F/M, Family Fluff, Pregnancy, Romance, Strip Poker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 05:59:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8045014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybeembee/pseuds/maybeembee
Summary: Drabbles about one of the more underrated pairs from the FE Fates series. Shura x Corrin and the family they create together as they chase their dreams.





	1. Keeping Your Head

The rocking of the ship was making her seasick. There was the lingering feeling of doom if they were to come home unsuccessful to their father and king. Her siblings were bickering back and forth, not making her feel any better about her worries.

Corrin didn’t know how much more she could take, especially with the looming decision of beheading a pirate who decided to steal from their war chest. Mercy had always been a value of hers, but her siblings had a point that this Shura character could be extremely dangerous. Especially considering the fact he had been Azura’s kidnapper, and served the Hoshidian throne.

However, she needed another archer for long distance attacks. Especially one who wasn’t always trying to seductively piss her off. Niles’s accuracy was that of legends, but dammit if he couldn’t keep that sharp tongue of his from being foul at every turn. No matter how much Leo reprimanded him for it, the bastard loved the negative attention. 

“Silence. Sister this is your decision as our commander. What are you orders?” Xander looked to his younger sister as a storm of frustration passed over her features. Corrin bit her bottom lip as she processed their options, a habit she had developed when she was anxious or deep in thought.

Corrin decided that any man willing to offer to fight for her cause needed to be kept in order to ensure success. Corrin was also intrigued by his rugged good looks and demeanour, as he seemed friendly for a man who had no reason to be. Something about him drew out her curiosity to know more about this adventurer.

* * *

Shura watched the dark-haired young commander intently, awaiting her orders regarding his fate. He cursed himself for not being as stealthy as he could have, figuring his disguise would be enough to keep him covered. 

_His time was coming to an end, he was sure of it._

A sigh escaped the woman they called Corrin’s lips as she met his gaze with her piercing red eyes. Shura tried his best to stay outwardly composed, but his heart was beating with a rapid ferocity. He had offered his loyalty to her cause to save his life, and he would serve her until his dying day if that’s what it took to keep his head on his shoulders. 

She wasn’t bad on the eyes either. Whichever decision was made, he died with a decent view or served with one. 

“I suppose an extra man for the army is always beneficial. Just know Shura, if you should step out of line against my family I won’t hesitate to strike you down,” Shura swallowed at the cold look in her eyes as she passed her judgement. At least he got to keep his head for now.

“You have my word, milady. I will serve you however you may need me.”

* * *

Corrin’s decision to keep Shura turned out to be beneficial for both of them. Shura’s archery skills were top notch, and when the two paired together they were quite the unbeatable team. Even though the man insisted repeatedly that the two of them keep their distance in public, he stuck close to her on the battlefield to ensure he kept his oath.

When Kotaro set his forces against Corrin’s army, Shura fought with the passion of ten men. His eyes had a certain determination set in them that was intoxicating to the dragon princess. Corrin couldn’t figure out why until they made it to the daimyo himself.

As Corrin listened to the two men exchange words regarding Kohga, Shura’s lost homeland, her heart broke for him. It was one thing for her to never know what it meant to know a real homeland of her own, but to have one and then lose it was another thing entirely. Something she wished he hadn’t had to experience, and quite frankly she wished she could help him do something about it. 

Corrin was more than happy to allow Shura the honor of avenging his past losses with the finishing shot at Kotaro, and after they had returned to the astral plane he profusely thanked her for helping him with this part of his dream. She noticed his eyes glaze over with tears as he talked about moving forward with his dreams for the first time, though she knew he’d never admit it.

Corrin realized as he poured out his gratitude to her that she wanted to be able to continue to help him realize more of his dreams. _Together._

* * *

After sharing the sweet victory of destroying the man who had taken everything from him, Shura realized his gratitude towards Corrin had grown into something much deeper. He wasn’t really sure how this woman so stealthily snuck into his heart, but he imagined it was the way she shared meals, patrols, and dreams with him that won him over.

Somewhere along the way of fighting back to back in combat and Corrin’s incessant need to make him socialize with others, Shura found himself falling in love with the princess. 

Which he knew was particularly stupid, considering her siblings would have his head before he would ever be allowed to have her hand.

Also stupid considering the age gap between them. It wasn’t anything that was unacceptable, but Shura was certain there were men in the army her own age who would gladly share a bed with her. In fact after some long drunken chats in local town taverns, he knew about half of them would kill for that chance in heartbeat. 

So when Corrin called Shura to her treehouse for a friendly visit/morale boost, the adventurer knew better than to expect anything to come of his confession to the princess. He had decided it would be better to confess and be dismissed so he could move on, but there was a small selfish part of him that hoped she would want to share this future he dreamed of with him. 

Then he heard her speak words so sweet to his ears, “I am yours, if you will be mine.”

* * *

Shura almost didn’t have a head on his shoulders a second time when Corrin decided it was time to let her family know about their relationship. The princess tried her best to calm the Nohrian royals, but they were having none of it.

“Darling, I simply won’t allow it. He’ll meet my axe before he dares lay a hand on your pretty head,” Camilla’s disconcerting smile caused Shura to slightly panic internally. Mainly because he had already laid more than just a hand on many more places of her body than her head. 

_Gods forbid Camilla ever finds that out though._

“Little princess…” Xander looked to his younger sibling with exasperation, “As much as I detest this idea, you have always been the more stubborn of the bunch. Will anything we say persuade you to drop this relationship?”

Shura’s heart swelled as Corrin shook her head persistently, “Nothing. I have made my decision, and I will follow my heart.”

Elise smiled as she watched Xander give up, and the rest of the siblings knew better than to question Corrin as well. The young girl giggled brightly as she wrapped her older sibling in a hug, “Hooray!”

As the couple settled into bed for the evening, Shura pulled Corrin towards his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she snuggled into his chest.

He had no plans of losing this dream anytime soon.


	2. It's Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin's late coming home to the tree house, and she's been late with other things as well

Corrin was late coming home. _Again._

Shura knew she was their commander, and he knew Corrin had plenty of responsibilities outside of being his wife. But it was getting to the point where Corrin wasn’t getting back to the tree house until the early hours of the morning. It was always something to do with the needs of her army, and Corrin proudly served those who served her as her way of saying thank you. Shura knew this as why so many people decided to support her cause, himself included. 

But dammit all if he didn’t miss her all the same. 

It also meant he worried for his wife. Camp was as safe a place as any, but a life lived as an outlaw left him with a wicked imagination for things that could happen to those he cared about. Shura tensed at the thought of someone catching Corrin unaware, and taking her hostage from those who loved her. Or worse.

As his thoughts drifted to darker places, the door opened into the room to reveal his wife with an apologetic smile on her face. Corrin embraced Shura tightly as he pulled her closer to him.

“Ah, you’re home. What a relief! I can finally relax...with you,” Shura smiled as Corrin rolled her eyes at her protective husband. She lingered in his embrace longer than she usually would, and Shura saw her bite her lower lip.

“I’m late,” Corrin buried her face in his chest. 

“No later than usual. I’m surprised you made it home before midnight…” Shura trailed off when Corrin barely looked up as a dark red tint appeared on her cheeks. She watched the realization as it slowly dawned in his eyes, and his face paled slightly, “You’re…”

“Pregnant,” Corrin hid her face again as she let her husband take in the shocking news that they were going to be parents, “I figured I should let you freak out before Elise spreads the word to the rest of camp.”

Corrin had been having stomach troubles in the mornings, and she went to Elise to figure out why she was vomiting every time she woke up. When Elise confirmed she was a couple weeks along, Corrin made her youngest sister swear to keep her mouth shut until she could break the news to the man who helped her into this state. 

“Ah, I...I’m going to...” Shura opened and closed his mouth a few times as he gathered his thoughts. He could see the worried look on Corrin’s face deepen as he stared in disbelief. It wasn’t necessarily that they had been trying to have children, but they weren’t all that careful about it either. Honestly with how often they were intimate with each other, he was a little surprised this didn’t happen sooner.

Corrin knew this was a shock to the man who didn’t even believe he deserved the chance at a new life of his own. They had loosely talked about what it would mean to have a family after the war, but Corrin knew to be pregnant now wasn’t exactly ideal for them or the army. She looked towards her husband crestfallen as he pulled out of the embrace to look into her eyes.

“I hope it’s a boy.” Corrin giggled in relief as Shura spoke out and pressed a kiss to her lips, the glow of motherhood radiating from her face already. As Corrin melted into his affection, she knew they would figure the details out together. After all, her siblings had already produced children of their own scattered throughout the deeprealms.

“I guess we’ll see when it comes time to add on to this dream of ours,” Corrin rubbed her nose against his as Shura smiled.

* * *

“Thank you everyone, but this wasn’t necessary really,” Corrin smiled at her group of friends that had gathered in the mess hall to celebrate the progression of their princess’s pregnancy. 

“Sweet sister, they say the mother knows the gender before anyone else,” Camilla sat beside Corrin as she petted her younger sister’s head, “Have you had any notions about if we’ll be doting on a niece or nephew in the future?” 

Corrin remembered that Camilla had guessed she would have a daughter as soon as Niles knocked her up, much to Leo and Xander’s disapproval. While Xander and Leo hadn't produced their own heirs, Corrin knew it was a matter of time before that happened. Especially with her tendency to play matchmaker for her siblings.

Elise also knew she would have a daughter, and allowed Odin to come up with a name for their little girl before the gender was confirmed. Thankfully they were able to agree on the name Ophelia after several outlandish ideas of Odin’s were shot down.

Azura and Laslow were expecting another child after getting Shigure situated in his own deeprealm, and Azura was positive it was going to be a girl. Corrin smiled knowing that she would be breaking the trend that her siblings had set. 

Shura sat on the elevated table behind Corrin as she leaned against him for support, awaiting his wife’s response. “I have a strong feeling it’s a boy. Especially with the way he kicks at me when he sleeps,” Corrin laughed as she rested a hand on her protruding belly. 

“Must take after his mother with that one,” Shura smirked as he pulled his wife closer to him and pressed a kiss to her head. Corrin scoffed at her husband, but didn’t attempt to refute what she knew was a fact.

* * *

“Corrin...Corrin...come on Corrin!” Shura could see his wife slipping from consciousness after the extreme amount of blood she lost giving birth. Panic gripped his heart as Shura watched Corrin fight to stay awake, her eyes opening more when she heard her newborn infant begin to cry. 

“Shura look at me,” Corrin weakly called out as she put her hand to his face, “If I don’t make it…”

“Dammit woman, don’t say that,” Shura’s voice broke as tears glazed his eyes, “You’re going to be fine.”

“If I don’t make it...” Corrin smiled as her face began to show some color again, “to change the first diaper, I’m sorry in advance.” Shura gripped the hand on his face, taking that as a sign his wife wasn’t going without a fight. 

Elise smiled brightly at her sister, “Corrin I think you’re going to be okay! But no leaving this bed until I tell you, got it?! You lost a lot of blood, and you need to rest.” 

“I’ll try my best, and I have no doubt your brother-in-law will make sure that I don’t either” Corrin softly chuckled as Shura helped her sit up against the headboard. Camilla walked over and gently laid the infant in his mother’s arms, his crying calming as Corrin kissed his little forehead.

Camilla and Elise left the room to give the new family some privacy as Shura climbed onto the bed to sit with his wife. Corrin leaned against his chest as she played with the tuft of white hair on the boy’s head. 

“He has your hair,” Corrin smiled at Shura as he stared in awe at the little pink lump in his wife’s arms. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and Shura moved to plant his lips against hers.

“That may be true, but I don’t have pointed ears,” he ran his nose along the tips of her ears. They sat comparing features the boy shared with each parent as Shura felt Corrin’s body relax under him. 

“Sweet dreams Kana,” Corrin cooed at the small child as he nestled into her arms. Corrin felt her head start to bob with sleep as well, Shura tightening his grip around her as she succumbed to the exhaustion of childbirth. 

Before she fell asleep, Shura whispered in Corrin’s ear, _“I never could have hoped for things to turn out like this. I love you so much.”_


	3. Game of Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin suggests a twist to their usual card play, and Shura is more than happy to oblige

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Points to everyone who gets the scattered poker puns throughout the story. Some suggestive content, but no real smut. Sorry, just not sure I'm good enough to write that yet!

“What do you say we make this _interesting_?” Corrin suggestively raised her eyebrows as Shura shuffled the deck of cards she placed in front of him. The rainy weather had them camped out for the time being, and the couple decided to take the day off to pick back up a hobby they shared. 

His wife had a terrible poker face, so Shura knew this could only work out in his favor. Perhaps he could pawn off a few of his least favorite chores around camp, especially manning the accessory shop. He’d spend all day getting dirty in the ore mines if it meant he didn’t have to idly sit by as the women in camp wasted resources on the useless stuff they stocked in that god forsaken place. 

“Make it worth my while then love,” Shura leaned back in his chair crossing his arms against his chest as Corrin took over dealing their hands. 

Even before they married, Corrin enjoyed calling Shura over to teach her how to play the different card games he had learned during his time on the road. She wasn’t much of a card shark, but Corrin had turned into a decent opponent throughout their lessons. 

Poker, however, had never been her strong suit. Corrin knew this, which is why her next suggestion was deliciously divisive, “I’ve heard there’s a certain type of poker that involves removing clothing items as betting.”

Shura broke into a wide grin at the suggestion, “Perhaps there is. Interested in getting your ass kicked at that game as well?”

“I think you’d be far more interested than I,” Corrin smirked as pink blossomed across her cheeks, “But maybe I’ll win this time around. The stakes are much higher after all.”

Shura snorted as the woman awaited a response from her playing partner. He knew that Corrin had no intentions of losing this time around, so at least there would be more of a fight than normal. 

Not to mention the added bonus of playing his wife’s clothes right off her body. 

“I’ll take that as a challenge. You’re on princess,” Shura arranged the cards in his hand as Corrin chuckled suggestively.

* * *

“Raise,” Corrin removed her leggings as her clothing was steadily dwindling each round. At this point, all she had of Shura’s was his cape and boots. 

Her husband had managed to play pocket aces or straights at each hand, leaving her flushed in the face with most of her clothing missing. With the exception of a loose tank top, bra, and underwear, Corrin had lost most of her clothing to the shifty adventurer.

Shura was starting to lose his edge with each piece of clothing procured from Corrin. His playing partners on the road had never suggested this form of poker, and quite frankly he was glad they didn’t. 

In this instance, however, Shura was thanking whatever gods blessed him with the opportunity to win her over in more ways than one. Corrin’s dark hair was loose from it’s usual side ponytail, and the ends of her locks met with the swell of her chest. Just enough to distract Shura from playing his cards right. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands off of his wife for much longer. 

“Fold,” Shura called as Corrin grinned at her victory of Shura’s shirt. Each one’s willpower was being seriously tested, but the two were also highly competitive. At cards, and at being the one to hold out the longest. 

“I was bluffing, couldn’t you tell? Or was there something else on your mind love?” Corrin leaned over the table to give him a better view of what he was already staring at as she pulled her winnings towards her. 

“Figure I should let you win at least one more time,” Shura moved his gaze from her breasts to her face as he leaned towards her. Corrin frowned as Shura revealed his trip nine hand, and pushed him back in his chair in frustration.

“Jerk,” She scoffed as he laughed.

“You started this,” Shura shrugged his shoulders as his wife dealt another hand.

“Yeah well I’m ending it. Winner takes all this round,” Corrin had fire in her eyes as she stared him down, removing her tank top and placing it on the table. Shura felt his pants get tighter as his wife waited for his bet. 

He was more than ready to take his prize.

* * *

Corrin laid on top of Shura as she tried to catch her breath, her shallow pants getting deeper as she relaxed into his chest. While she may have lost the last hand, she won in her own right the pleasure continued to wash over her.

“How am I this bad at poker?” Corrin addressed the man beneath her as he shifted to get comfortable.

Shura ran a hand through her dark hair as she turned her head to meet his eyes, “I imagine you’re going to say I cheated somehow?”

“How you always ended up with a Queen on top of the deck will elude me I guess,” Corrin smiled tiredly as Shura kissed her.

“I suppose it’s the same way I ended up with a Queen on top of me now,” Shura laughed heartily as Corrin rolled her eyes, “I’m just a lucky man I suppose.”


	4. Sharing a Bed

Exhausted didn’t even begin to cover the feeling the army experienced after the succession of difficult terrains and enemies that they encountered. They hadn’t been back to the astral plane in quite a while, and Corrin saw the need for a time of rest before attempting to infiltrate Fort Jinya. 

After consulting with Xander about the best way to deal with her Hoshidian siblings, Corrin wandered the castle grounds aimlessly. The moon reflected off the surrounding waters while she wrestled with the idea of having to go against her birth siblings. Ryoma would be the most challenging battle she would face, but Hinoka would be no easy enemy to defeat either.

Her siblings were her _enemies_. 

Corrin shook the thoughts from her head and she allowed her mind’s eye to drift to the stars above her in the night sky. She had once asked Shura if the stars looked different in all the places in traveled, and he reminded her that there wasn’t much time to stare up at the sky in his past life. 

She was glad he had the chance to do that now. Even if those moments were becoming more fleeting for Corrin’s group of warriors. As much as it pained her, their own son had joined the forces to help Corrin obtain her ultimate goal against Garon. Kana happily fought alongside his parents, but that didn’t make it any easier on her motherly heart to see her son swung or shot at by enemy forces. 

Kana had followed in his mother’s footsteps to be classed as a Nohrian Noble, and was starting to learn to use magic along with his dragonstone. Shura was more than willing to give Kana space to grow into a responsible young man, but Corrin was struggling to see her son as more than her precious baby.

She had missed so much of his life in the deeprealms, and she would cry to Shura every now and then about being a horrible mother. Corrin would sob until her shoulder shook with the weight of the world’s problems, and Shura would patiently hold her until the tears subsided. Her husband would always find a way to talk her out of her funk, and remind her that their son was healthy and happy to be close to his parents again.

Kana loved to spend time with his mother, but Corrin had slowly been encouraging him to play with the other children in camp. Percy had become his best friend after only a few days together, and Corrin was always overjoyed to see them off on adventures around the castle together. She only hoped he would continue to be able to enjoy his childhood without the threat of war looming in the distance. 

That was one of the reasons she fought as hard as she could. For the sake of her family, siblings, and friends to find a peaceful reprieve once this mess was over. Whenever the stress seemed overwhelming, her family would remind her there was more to life than war. 

The stress of facing her siblings was still lurking in the back of her mind, and Corrin decided that time spent with her two favorite boys at home would be all the reminder she needed.

* * *

Shura finished up going over inventory for the army with Niles while the two made small talk. Their friendship made sense to most in the army, and Shura was grateful that Niles was the first person he talked to when Corrin forced him to learn everyone’s stories. While Niles was always quick to make a crude remark, Shura saw the same pain and pride underneath his cool demeanour. 

“Nina informed me that Kana has been stealing her time with Ophelia away,” Niles chuckled and Shura shrugged his shoulders.

“The boy caught feelings for her. With my influence on him, I suppose it makes sense he’d steal someone’s heart away,” the two former outlaws laughed together. Those who knew the two before Corrin’s army would never have believed they’d be family men with royal princesses for wives. 

“I suppose I should get home before I get scolded by two purple-haired women this evening,” Niles and Shura exchanged good-byes and they headed to their respective families. 

Shura imagined he would beat Corrin home, seeing as how she liked to wander to calm her mind before bed. Kana would most likely be fast asleep at home already, especially after the past few weeks of fighting through enemy territory. 

Kana had been trying so hard to prove to his mother that he could handle more responsibilities, and Shura knew the young boy wanted so much to make both of his parents proud. Kana had even tried his hand at archery, but much like his mother he was better at wielding a sword. 

Well better at using swords, and turning into a terrifying dragon. If it wasn’t for that stark white hair on top of his head, Shura would swear he had no claim to the boy who was a good citizen and friend to all those around him. That and the fact that Corrin wasn’t the type to run around on him, much to Shura’s relief. 

As he made his way up the winding staircase to their home, Shura cursed the fact that his wife had such a whimsical affinity for living close to nature. After being locked in a tower for most of her life, she didn’t want to miss a moment of the outside world. Unfortunately that meant climbing gods know how many stairs to get to the top of a very tall tree to finally get to bed. 

“Papa!” Kana called down the hallway, running to greet his father with a hug. 

Shura ruffled Kana’s hair, “What are you doing up so late you little ogre?”

Kana shuffled his feet and stared at the ground. Shura realized quickly that something wasn’t right with their happy-go-lucky son. 

“What is it Kana?” Shura picked up the boy, his frame smaller than it should be for a child his age. 

Kana avoided eye contact with his father, he gently spoke up, “When will Mama be home?” Shura walked the boy into the adjacent master bedroom to see if he could spot his wife from the balcony. As he looked over, Corrin waved up from the ground at her two favorite people. 

“She’s home now,” Shura sighed in relief when Kana squirmed to meet her at the door.

* * *

“Kana-bean!” Corrin laughed as her son wrapped her tightly in his little arms. When she went to move away, the young dragon prince wouldn’t let her go. She looked to Shura for some clue to why their baby was still up this late, but her husband shrugged his shoulders. 

“Kana, what’s wrong buddy?” Shura lowered to the boy’s level and Corrin followed suit. When he revealed his face to his parents, there were tears forming in his eyes. 

“My sweet baby, what’s bothering you?” Corrin embraced him again and he began to cry into her shoulder. The parents exchanged a concerned glance, unsure of how to console Kana. 

“Mama, can I…” Kana trailed off as he looked down at the floor, “Can I sleep in here with you and Papa please?”

Shura could see the worry lines deepening on his wife’s face, especially since Kana had been fighting so hard to be responsible and independent. “Of course you can sweetheart, but can you tell Papa and I what’s wrong?” Corrin rubbed the young man’s back as his cries quieted down. 

“I keep seeing those people from the battlefield when I close my eyes,” Kana stepped back from his parents, rubbing his face with his shirt sleeve. Shura got up to get a washcloth for his son’s face as Corrin’s heart sunk deeper into her chest. “I’m sorry Mama. I tried to be brave, but…” Kana’s soft sobs started again and Corrin picked him up and sat down on the bed with him. 

Shura handed the cloth to Corrin as she consoled the fragile form in her arms, her heart heavy with guilt and shame for asking her son to fight this war he didn’t start. 

“Tell you what Kana-bean, let Mama and Papa get dressed for bed, and we’ll come join you okay?” Shura addressed his son, the silver-haired child moving to get situated under the covers. Corrin quickly changed clothes in their bathroom while Shura got ready for bed, and went back into their bedroom to be with Kana. 

Shura ran cold water over his face, dealing with his own guilty feelings at bringing their only son into this mess. When the discussion to take him from the deeprealms finally ended with Kana joining their party, Shura was still very hesitant to let him see much of the world he hadn’t been brought up in. The adventurer took off his shirt, and returned to the bedroom. He was greeted by a sight that made his aching heart just a bit lighter.

Corrin’s eyes were half-lidded with Kana curled into her chest and snuggled under her chin. She smiled at Shura where he stood in the bathroom doorway, grateful for the sight of his wife and child safe and sound with him at home. Shura was careful as he lowered into the bed not to disturb the sleeping presence between the couple.

“He’ll be alright,” Shura caressed his wife’s worry stricken face while Kana began to quietly snore beneath them, “He’s a big tough dragon after all.” Corrin wiped a stray tear from the little one’s face, intertwining the fingers on her other hand with Shura’s. 

“I’ve missed this,” she smiled nostalgically and Shura nodded in agreement. 

“I told him he should try sleeping in our bed every now and then, but he said they was for babies” Shura squeezed Corrin’s hand. She pressed her forehead to Shura’s, relaxing into the call of sleep that had been nagging at the back of her mind.

“He’ll always be our baby,” Corrin kissed the snoring dragon beneath her as well as the dozing man next to her. What would happen the next day was uncertain, but the princess was certain she was grateful for the safety of the two men she loved most in the world.


End file.
